


Uncanny Valley

by Manuscriptor



Series: What Lives in the Sewers [3]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Body Horror, Gen, Gore, Heavy gore, New Android Models, i'm just out here writing gore and horror i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:21:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23669065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manuscriptor/pseuds/Manuscriptor
Summary: Connor and Nines are called in to investigate an android disturbance and encounter RK1000, the newest model in their series. Neither of them knew that it existed, but it won't deviate and it doesn't seem entirely normal.
Series: What Lives in the Sewers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561228
Comments: 3
Kudos: 12





	Uncanny Valley

**Author's Note:**

> watch the gore tags, this isn't android gore, it's good old blood and organs

Hank got the call about the disturbance and immediately transferred it to Connor’s desk. “Connor, you have a call on line two,” he said, not even bothering to look over his shoulder at the android’s desk. “Said it’s an _android problem._ ” 

Connor had long since learned to manage the phone lines and picked up his phone, pressing the code in and then switching to line two, just like Hank said. 

He had been working at the police station ever since the revolution had mostly ended. Of course there were still protests here and there, mostly small gatherings--sometimes of humans, sometimes of androids. Markus did amazing work though, and all of the deviated androids were slowly assimilating into society as accepted and equal. Many were now paid for the jobs they did and led relatively normal lives. Or, as normal as they could get.

Un-deviated androids were still being found across the city though, sometimes in people’s houses where they horded their precious household staff and refused to give up the help or sometimes in warehouses where they had been waiting to be shipped out before the deviation happened. 

It was usually Connor’s job to handle cases like these—android problems, like Hank said. Well, Connor’s job, and RK900’s. Affectionately called Nines by the rest of the rest of the officers, he had joined the station staff too after successfully deviating, and while he didn’t work a desk job like Connor did, he was more than happy to hunt androids like his original programming told him to. 

“Hello,” Connor said as he propped the phone between his shoulder and ear. “Connor speaking. How may I help you?” 

“An android,” the person on the other end of the line said, breathing a sigh of relief. “Thank god, look, we got a call about a Cyberlife building on the northside. It’s one of the newest buildings and hadn’t even been opened before the company, ya know, got shut down by this . . . revolution. Anyway, we got some calls about noises in the basement? My officers investigated but we think it’s serious.” 

“Serious?” Connor repeated.

“Yeah,” the voice went on. “We thought it would be routine, but my men searched the basement and found that it goes deeper. There’s multiple levels. I think it might even be connected to the sewage system. Or at least have access to it. I don’t even know. But I figured an android would be perfect to deal with this.” 

“Send me the information,” Connor said, already packing up the paperwork he had been dealing with. “Myself and RK900 will be there as soon as we can.” 

“Of course!” the voice said. “Look, I know not everyone likes androids and robots and such, but I think you are good people. It doesn’t matter that you have fake organs and, uh, stuff, but you know? Emotions are real, and that’s what matters.” 

“Thank you,” Connor said, even though he didn’t really understand the point the person was trying to make. “The information?” 

“Oh! I’ll send it,” the voice said. “I just wanted to let you know that we don’t tolerate discrimination at my division. We are . . . ahem, welcome to all walks of life. No matter who. Yes, that’s it.” 

“Yes, very good,” Connor said. He had finished clearing his desk and was now studying his mobile phone, waiting for the files to be sent through like the person said. “The information?” 

“It’s coming, it’s coming,” the voice said. “I just want to make it very clear that you are respected and valuable members of society and no matter what the media says about you, I trust you.” 

Connor’s phone chimed as the files arrived in an email. He clicked them open and gave them a cursory glance just to make sure they were the right ones before nodding to himself. He tucked his phone into his pocket. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

“Of course!” the voice said. “And like I was saying, if you or . . . or any of your, uh, kind. No, _friends_ , need anything, just let me know and I will be the first to step up and offer my home and my time--” 

“That won’t be needed,” Connor said. “Myself and RK900 will arrive as soon as we can.” 

He hung up before the person could continue on and stood, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair. Hank was already giving him a look, raised eyebrows. That meant he wanted an explanation before Connor would be allowed out the door.

“Possible un-deviated android,” he said. “In a Cyberlife building, so who knows what model it is. Myself and Nines will check it out. It might be nothing.” 

“It might be something,” Hank said. He wasn’t allowed to come with when there were _android problems._ It was easier to keep humans off those cases and let androids handle them. 

Connor just shrugged. “I need to get Nines from the break room.” 

It was where his fellow android spent all of his hours when at the station. He occupied his time with puzzles and problem solving games, sitting silently in a corner as out of the way as possible. He would do nothing all day if there wasn’t a call in with an android related situation. Connor was the one who sat at the desk and did all the paperwork. 

And Nines was sitting where he always did. He looked up when Connor walked into the room and even straightened. 

Connor just nodded without saying a thing, and Nines set his small book of Sudoku aside as he stood. 

“Finally,” he muttered. “Nobody told me deviation would make me aware of the passage of time. Everything is boring now.” 

“Well,” Connor said, pulling his phone out of his pocket and manually sending the files and information to Nines’ own device. “I think you might find this interesting.” 

Nines interfaced with technology a lot more than Connor did. Almost exclusively, like he was wired for it. He would touch computers and phones without asking. Connor had seen him interfacing with coffee machines, parking meters, and even digital locking systems. Anything that had a computer chip in it was accessible to Nines, it seemed, and he didn’t care about manners or proper etiquette.

Now, he didn’t even lift his phone to look at the screen, he grabbed it off the table as he stood, pulling back his skin and already walking to join Connor. He would process the information as they went, Connor wasn’t worried about that. 

“Cyberlife building?” Nines asked as they walked out of the station side by side. 

Connor nodded. “There was a noise complaint. The basement—” 

“I’m already looking at the blueprints,” Nines said, eyes defocusing as they walked to the cruiser that they were allowed to use. “Interesting. At least three levels underground. Why didn’t anyone look at this before?” 

“You know how things are with the revolution,” Connor said. 

He climbed behind the wheel while Nines got into the passenger seat. Connor had the decency to use an actual key and would follow traffic laws more consistently that Nines would. It was also their regular routine, and they didn’t usually break routine. 

“The humans are lazy,” Nines said. 

“Don’t let them hear you say that.” 

“What are they going to do, discontinue my parts? Ha.” 

Nines humor was always dry, but Connor smiled anyway. It was true. The humans wouldn’t do anything to only staff at the station that were able to deal with androids. It was very nice job security, not that either of them needed a job. 

“You think it’s an android?” Nines asked as Connor pulled into traffic and headed towards the highway. 

“It _is_ a Cyberlife building,” Connor said. 

“Maybe this time it’ll be more than a standard factory model,” Nines said. “Not that I . . . dislike those models. . .” He trailed off, staring blankly as he looked at whatever maps or files were open in his mind. It took him a moment to blink back to himself and remember when he had been saying. He sighed. “Being deviant makes things boring.” 

He pulled back his skin and reached for the radio. Connor grabbed his wrist before he could touch it. Nines gave him a strange look. 

“Please leave the radio alone,” Connor said. “You skip stations too quickly. I don’t think it’s good for the car.” 

Nines just shrugged and sat back. 

The rest of the trip was in silence then as they both stared out their windows, lost in thought. Connor pulled to a stop in the abandoned parking lot, at the end of an already long line of police cruisers. The area already looked pretty secure, though all of the other officers here were staying behind a line of yellow caution tape. As soon as Connor and Nines stepped out of their car, a man was hurrying towards them, holding a clipboard and a pen and gesturing wildly. 

“Connor,” he said to Nines. “Thank god you came so fast. I spoke with you on the phone. Officer Delucchi.” 

Nines narrowed his eyes.

“I’m Connor,” Connor said, stepping forward to talk to the man. Just like Nines didn’t do the paperwork, he didn’t usually deal with any of the human officers either. “This is my fellow android, RK900. You can call him Nines.” 

Delucchi blinked and looked between them, face going a bit pink in embarrassment. “Ah, yes. Of course. I knew that. I’m sorry.” He lowered his voice and leaned in as if he were sharing a secret. “Please excuse my men. Not all of them have had . . . sensitivity training. They might say something, ah, _out of hand,_ if you know what I mean.” 

Nines wasn’t even paying attention. “I want to go inside,” he said, more to Connor than anyone else. He pushed past Officer Delucchi and began walking towards the yellow tape. 

Connor nodded apologetically to Officer Delucchi. “We’ll just go inside,” he said. 

“Yes. Oh! Yes, of course,” Delucchi said, quickly stepped into action. “I’ll show you to the . . . . tape. I guess.” 

Connor let him lead the way just because he seemed flustered and wanted something to do. Nines was already waiting on the other side, arms crossed. He gave Connor a strange look when he showed up following the man, but Connor just shot him a look that said Don’t Ask. 

“Thank you so much,” he said to Delucchi. “We will be as quick and thorough as possible. Please keep your men clear. We don’t know if anything inside is hostile and it’s best if you stay safe.” 

Delucchi was already propping the end of his pen in his mouth and chewing nervously. “Of course!” he said. “Um, good . . . good luck. Everyone needs good luck, right? Even androids. Yeah, good luck!” 

Nines was already rolling his eyes and walking towards the building. 

It was about a dozen stories tall. A tag or two had been spray painted on the brick, and a couple widows had been smashed in on the lower levels, but that all looked recent. The upper story windows were plastered over with brown paper and untouched. When Nines and Connor finally entered the lobby, Connor was actually surprised by how clean it was. 

Plastic tarps and paint drop cloths covered most surfaces and while it was dusty, it was clear the place had been uninhabited for a while. It looked like they intended to open it as an actual office building and just never got around to it. 

“Here,” Nines said, already heading to a door labelled for emergency use only. 

Connor followed him since he most likely had the blueprints to the place memorized. He trusted him enough to follow him anyway, but sure enough, the door led to a set of cold concrete stairs. They descended quickly, Nines taking them two at a time. Connor followed slower, making sure to check corners for any shadows or figures. It was important to keep his guard up in a place like this. 

The first basement level was relatively normal. It was a storage space with aisles of wire shelves and the stray cardboard box here and there. Nines kicked through them, pausing to open one and making a noise of disgust when it was empty. Connor wanted to look around more, but Nines was already heading towards the back, farthest from where they had entered. 

“Come on,” he said. “It goes deeper.” 

“They said something about sewer pipes,” Connor said. “Be careful.” 

“They dumped waste directly into the pipes,” Nines said flatly. “Instead of paying for proper disposal.” 

Then it was Connor’s turn to make a noise of disgust. 

Nines banged his fist along the back wall until a section popped loose and with half a second of interfacing with the electronic lock, he had the door open. He stepped into the darkness, not bothering with lights since he was designed with night vision. 

“And they thought this place was hidden,” he said. 

Connor didn’t comment, just followed him into the dark. 

This staircase was more cramped than the first one, and Connor sighed in relief when they hit the bottom and the room opened up. He had color correcting software, just like Nines, so instead of shades of green and black, the room was lit like someone had taken a flash photograph and frozen it in time. There weren’t that many shadows and most of the colors were flat, but that didn’t really matter. 

The space was obviously for making androids. 

In the far corners, twin 3D printers sat on the floor, ready to print parts and organs. Huge boxes of plastic filaments and barrels of sealed thirium sat off to another side, the “ink” that would be used to make androids. Nines was already opening a box of the small CPUs that were in every android’s skull. He looked pointedly to Connor. They were unused, but that wasn’t a good sign. 

“Careful,” Connor said quietly. “We might not be alone.” 

There wasn’t any dust in the place, which meant humans hadn’t been down here in a while. Still, the space was built as if a human was supposed to live and work there for a long time. In another corner of the room, Connor found cans of nonperishable food and other easy-prep meals along with a cot and pillows and blankets. 

He paused at a stack of files that had been left out on a desk with an unused computer. He flipped open the manila folder and wasn’t surprised to find android blueprints. The first couple models he recognized—common household units, fast food workers, and medical assistants. He only paused when he saw his own face on the paper. 

Except it wasn’t him. 

RK1000 was printed at the top of the page. The android model looked vaguely like Connor and Nines, but maybe that was just the pale skin, freckles, and brown hair. Strange, Connor didn’t realize that the RK series extended beyond RK900. The android model was listed as a fighter, military grade, potentially for security jobs. 

Under “prime purpose,” the word “killer” had been printed in clear black ink. 

“There’s another level below us,” Nines said, making Connor jerk up as he kicked the box of CPUs aside “I’m going down.” 

“Wait for me,” Connor said, following him to the next staircase. It was best not to get separated, even though the place was supposed to be abandoned. The file had been unsettling, but Connor wasn’t going to let it bother him. 

But there had still been that noise complaint. 

The third and final floor was a lot more open than the other two, and already, on the farthest side, the concrete floor just met open concrete pipes. Connor could hear running water and figured this was the sewer access that the building had. 

This space seemed like it had been made for storage too, except at some point, someone had torn through most of the boxes, scattering medical supplies and other survival basics across the floor. Connor grabbed Nines before he could walk further into the space. 

Normally, he didn’t like interfacing with another android without asking permission, but Connor only had a moment to share the information he had gotten from the files on the floor above them. It took less than a second for him to transfer the memory and for Nines to scan and process and catalog it. 

It was just in time for him to duck under a pipe that was swung at his head that would have crushed his CPU in an instant. 

Nines pushed Connor out of the way, and he had to summersault back to his feet, popping into a fighting stance and drawing his gun in one smooth motion. 

“Fuck,” Nines spat. It was his favorite human swear, out of all of them.

The android that was now standing opposite of them was naked, eyes and hair wild. Unlike most androids that were left alone, it still wore its skin. It was pale, covered with a generous amount of freckles, and had no genitals, like a standard non-sexual android. It looked panicked and wild, unlike any android Connor had ever seen. 

For a moment, he thought it was deviated and that he and Nines could reason with it. 

And then he saw the spinning blue of the LED and knew that the android wasn’t questioning any of its programming. 

The android attacked again, still aiming at Nines as it lunged. It was silent, almost unnervingly so. Nines wasn’t allowed to carry a gun like Connor was, and he wasn’t fast enough to dodge out of the way. The android tackled him, and with a muffled curse from Nines, they tumbled over each other across the floor, each wrestling for control.

“Connor!” Nines grunted when the android ended up on top, pinning him to the concrete. “Help?!” 

Connor trained the gun on the android’s back, keeping his distance. “Deviate it!” he said. 

Both of Nines’ arms were gray up to the elbow, and he glared up at the android as he fumbled to keep the thing’s hands away from his neck. “You think I’m not trying?!” he said. “It won’t let me interface! Shoot it!” 

Connor blinked, double checked his aim, and squeezed the trigger. 

The spray of red made a jolt of coding and red error messages explode across his vision and strike through his brain. An error. Connor had made an error. He wasn’t supposed to hurt humans. He hunted androids. Blue blood. Blue thirium. Not red. Never red. Never, _ever_ red. 

But no. The LED on the android spun yellow and blue as it rolled off Nines. With the distraction, he was able to drive his foot up into the android’s stomach and flip it over his head, sending it sprawling as he rolled back to his feet. He bounced back next to Connor, fists and guard up as they now both stared at the android that was trying to figure out what to do about the hole that went from beneath its left shoulder and then out the front. 

“Oh my god,” Connor said. He wasn’t usually unnerved by such things, but androids were supposed to bleed blue. 

_This one was bleeding red._

“What’s going on?” Nines asked. “What the hell is that thing? I couldn’t deviate it.” 

“RK1000?” Connor said. The files hadn’t had that much information other than the design of that android, and everything had looked normal. At least, Connor thought it had looked normal. 

This android was clearly not normal. 

“Yeah, and why isn’t it bleeding thirium?” Nines asked. 

The android was pacing now, like a trapped animal. With Connor and Nines now shoulder to shoulder, there were less openings for it to choose to attack. It would probably bide its time and wait until one of them was distracted and then—

Connor didn’t even get a chance to finish his train of thought before the android was throwing itself at them with reckless abandon. Nines was ready for it this time though and met it halfway, blocking a few strikes before managing to grab the android and flipping it, pining it against the ground with its leading arm twisted behind its back. 

“Careful,” Connor said.  
  


Nines just rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to be careful,” he said. “You know how hard it is to break an android’s bones?” He twisted the android’s arm up an inch higher. 

With a snap and crunch that was definitely not steel or plastic, the android’s arm shuddered and gave way, and with no resistance, Nines accidentally yanked the arm all the way up to the back of the android’s head. 

The thing gave a muffled scream through clenched teeth, and Nines’ eyes went wide with horror. 

“Oh my god,” he muttered. He rolled off the body, kicking at it as he scrambled backwards, not even bothering to get back to his feet. “What is that thing?!” 

“I don’t know!” Connor said. He had the gun trained on the android’s head, but he couldn’t pull the trigger. Not yet. Something about the blood. Red blood. He wasn’t supposed to hurt humans, and his coding, while deviated, still latched onto that red, red blood. 

With a slight hiss of pain, the android rolled to its knees.

No, androids weren’t supposed to feel pain. 

Its broken arm was pulled up too high for it to fall back to its side, the hand on the broken arm flopped useless next to the android’s head, and it just stared at the ground for several long moments before it took a deep breath and pushed itself to its feet. It wobbled, eyes glassy and red from pain, but it stayed up. 

Determined. 

“What do we know?” Nines said, getting to his feet as well. “It’s an RK series, so it’s a deviant hunter, right? It has to be. It’s like . . . it’s like you and me.” 

“I don’t think that’s like us,” Connor said. 

The android looked like it was still trying to figure out how to function through the pain. 

Connor took a shuddered breath. Even though the arm was broken, the android still kept its skin on, and it was wrinkled and pulled and twisted in a way that skin never should be. It was so unnatural and nothing like any android Connor had ever encountered. He shuddered before he could stop himself. 

“I don’t think that’s anything like us.” 

“If we can’t deviate it,” Nines said. “Then we have to shut it down. All we need is—”

“Enough damage to its biocomponents,” Connor finished. “And it’ll be forced to shut down.”

Nines nodded. “I think I know how to do that.” 

He bent and grabbed a kitchen knife off the ground. There were other kitchen utensils scattered across the concrete, probably there for when whatever humans was would’ve worked here needed to eat. There were probably dishes around here too, but that wasn’t the point. 

Nines brandished the knife at the still-shuddering android and stalked forward. He took his time, but when it became obvious that the android was still processing whatever the pain or feelings and wouldn’t be active for the moment, he struck. Better to incapacitate an opponent before they had the chance to do the same to you.

He moved fast, jumping forward and slashing the knife across the android’s stomach. It would have been an easy wound, shallow enough to get to the biocomponents but deep enough to do damage. Nines jumped back immediately, keeping distance between himself and the strange android. Connor would gauged the damage to see if another strike was needed, but the knife hadn’t done the damage he had been anticipating. 

Both Connor and Nines knew the thickness of the plastic skeleton of an android. They both knew exactly how deep to cut, where every biocomponent was located in every android model, and exactly where to cut to cause nonlethal damage. The only reason the strike wouldn’t have worked, was if the android somehow wasn’t an android. 

But Nines’ perfect cut didn’t open up into a simple cut of blue thiruim with one or two nicked biocomponents. 

No. 

The android’s stomach bloomed red from hip to hip, and both Nines and Connor watched in horror as red, wet, slippery organs tumbled from the wound. They hit the ground with a wet splat that echoed through the space, and for a moment, all three androids stared in silent horror at the red mess that was now spread across the concrete. 

Connor knew human anatomy. Intestines, stomach, liver, and bladder. Most were strangely shriveled, as if they had started to emaciate without proper nutrition, but it was all there, all red and shiny and healthy otherwise. It didn’t look like it had even been attached with the way it had fallen out, but the android was still bleeding heavily and was no longer moving. 

After a few moments of just the dripping of blood from the wound and the gurgle of sewer water in the pipes, the android collapsed. 

It fell face first into the pile of red, silent, eyes open and unfocused. With a last single, bodily shudder, its LED spun red and then went dark. 

“What,” Nines said. “The fuck.” 

“I don’t know!” Connor said. He couldn’t stop staring at the body. It was so red. He was so used to seeing androids bleed that the red was so shocking. He couldn’t look away. “That wasn’t . . . . that _isn’t . . ._ RK1000 was listed as an android!” 

“ _That_ isn’t an android!” Nines snapped, jabbing a finger at the body. “Androids don’t bleed red!” 

“But the LED,” Connor said. He was flipping through the facts, trying to piece one and two together, but he kept coming up with stray ends and parts that didn’t make sense. “It wasn’t . . . its body _wasn’t human_.” 

“Sure fucking looked human,” Nines said. He circled the body, but even he didn’t dare get close enough to touch it. He didn’t even kick at it. “It _bled_ like a human.” 

The blood was making Connor’s coding uneasy, and he finally had to turn away. He didn’t have a stomach—he didn’t even eat food—but his entire body wanted to heave and throw up, and he had to brace himself against the wall for a moment as all his insides shuddered. 

“Oh my god,” he muttered. “Oh my god, I don’t know what we just did.” The wires in his mind were crossed—deviant hunter, human killer. He was supposed to be one, not the other. 

“Hey, hey, easy,” Nines said, finally stepping away from the body. He returned to Connor’s side, hesitating a moment before awkwardly rubbing his back. “Breathe. Your coding is just confused. So is mine. We aren’t supposed to kill humans, but that was an android. You hear me? _Android_.” 

“Then why did it bleed?” Connor asked. He still didn’t have the strength to straighten so he leaned harder against the wall. “Why did it have . . . oh god. Why did it have organs?” 

“The blueprints,” Nines said. He didn’t ask as he interfaced with Connor, showing him other details in the files that neither of them had thought twice about. 

RK1000 was advertised as “More Human Than Ever” with “Unique Features That Make It Different From A Typical Model.” Connor had written that off as more life-like coding, but now he saw it for what it really was. 

Cyberlife always was looking to get rid of the horrible, horrible uncanny valley. Too many androids couldn’t be on the market due to faulty coding that didn’t let them pass as human enough. The purpose of an android was to assimilate as seamlessly as possible. If it acted too much like a human while clearly not being a human, then it was imperfect. There was a sweet spot in all the settings—blinking, breathing, fidgeting—that made an android just human enough. 

Apparently Cyberlife was going to test a new android model that was almost human, but not. Just enough robot to be sold as a commodity, just enough human to not be seen as unrealistic. 

What a formula. 

“We need to get you back above ground,” Nines said, already trying to guide Connor back towards the stairs. “You need fresh air.” But the excuse was as flimsy as he made it sound. Neither of them needed air and they both knew it. 

Connor pushed at his hands and turned back to the room, purposefully looked away from the body. 

“There,” he said, pointing to the far side of the room. 

They weren’t typical standard android storage cases, but then again, this was no longer a typical android. There were four in total. Three were empty, looking like they had been broken from the inside, while the fourth had red error messages scrolling across its surface and a rotting, mutilated body inside. 

“Fuck,” Nines said. “That must’ve been the noise complaint.” 

“There’s four cases,” Connor said, his stomach dropping in dread. “We only have two bodies.” 

Wordlessly, they both looked at the sewer pipes. There wouldn’t be any footsteps left on the concrete, but both Connor and Nines were thinking the same thing. Neither of them wanted to say it out loud. 

“Come on,” Nines said, grabbing Connor’s arm and yanking him roughly. “Upstairs. _Now_.” 

There wasn’t any room for argument in his tone, but Connor didn’t want to stay in the basement any longer anyway.

**Author's Note:**

> hey i'm on tumblr @manuscript-or


End file.
